Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Ricardo & Ruben Sanchez - Father-Son Child Molesters

A father and son whose family ran an unlicensed day-care center have been arrested in connection with a string of child molestations involving at least four family members and a child at the day care.

Ricardo Sanchez, 46, and Ruben Sanchez, 19, were taken into custody Monday on suspicion of continuous sexual abuse of a child and lewd and lascivious acts.

Ruben Sanchez was also arrested on suspicion of sodomy of a minor.

They were booked at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.

"This is certainly a disturbing case," Redlands police spokesman Carl Baker said. "It's additionally disturbing that it's run on for so long, the number of victims involved and the fact that it's passed on from father to son."

Police are looking for other possible victims.

Five have come forward so far, both male and female. All were under 13 when the incidents occurred. Three are now adults.

Three family members who said they were sexually abused by Ricardo Sanchez, some as far back as the 1970s, told police their stories last month after a family fight.

The resulting investigation uncovered Ruben Sanchez's abuse in March of an underage family member, police said.

He is also believed to have molested a child in 2006-2007 at his grandmother's day-care center in the 1400 block of Arlene Street.

The Sanchez Family Daycare, which operated out of the family's one-story house, was unlicensed at the time police said Ruben Sanchez sexually abused a child there.

The day care lost its license in 1996 during a child-abuse investigation. No criminal charges were filed in that case.

No details on the 1996 investigation were immediately available Tuesday.

The Department of Social Services cited the day care last month after receiving a complaint that it was still operating, said spokeswoman Shirley Washington.

A follow-up visit Tuesday showed no signs that the day care was still in business, Washington said.

There was no day-care sign Tuesday outside the Sanchez house, and no one answered the door.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Redlands police Detective Aneta Deutscher at (909) 798-7688.